Blue Like Jazz
How did God know that this weekend I needed the encouragement and challenge that this book would provide? Amazing...what a great and wonderful God. After hauling into Davenport Friday evening, my wife and I hung out with her sister, Melissa. After visiting some family and hitting up the downtown, the three of us went back to her place to hang out. It was there that Melissa showed us her copy of Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, a book I've heard about in a few circles. After offering it to us to borrow, I took it back to my in-law's. It wasn't until late Saturday evening that I opened the book. But...I couldn't put it down. Literally. From 10pm-ish until 1:30am Sunday morning I devoured the book, soaking in every morsel and softly saying "Amen" half-a-dozen times per chapter. My soul has been restless these past few months feeling so distant from God. Not only that, I've had some major struggles with sin in a few areas and my best efforts to "just not sin" were hopeless and, in the end, discouraging. Here's a passage that simply encouraged me because I could tell someone else was going through a similar struggle: bq. I found myself trying to love the right things without God's help, and it was impossible. I tried to go one week without thinking a negative thought about another human being, and I couldn't do it. Before I tried that experiment, I thought I was a nice person, but after trying it, I realized I thought bad things about people all day long, and that, like Tony says, my natural desire was to love darkness. My answer to this dilemma was self-discipline. I figured I could just make myself do good things, think good thoughts about other people, but that was no easier than walking up to a complete stranger and falling in love with them. I could go through the motions for a while, but sooner or later my heart would testify to its true love: darkness. Then I would get up and try again. The cycle was dehumanizing. Amazing book full of encouragement and gut-level honesty. Half-way through the book I felt God just tugging on my heart to share some of my struggles with her. Man, that was hard but very fruitful. She listened carefully and gently encouraged me. I will forever love her.
This entry was posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 at 10:50am. It has been filed under Thoughts, Photography, Books, Quotes, Bradley, Events, Religion.
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Finally! 3 loving people have cared enough to share their thoughts with me. Why don't you join the party?
I loved it. I stayed away from it for so long just because it was popular, but then a friend whom I trust recomended it and I loved it. You should read the follow-up..."Searching For God Knows What”
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J Andrew Taylor wrote on Monday, August 8, 2005 at 1:01pm.
I will have to check it out!
khynes wrote on Monday, August 8, 2005 at 2:32pm.
This is a great book, very honest and it has helped me personally as well. I am currently reading the follow up “Searching For God Knows What” as well. I recommend these books to anyone.
N. Mallon wrote on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 7:47pm.